Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Five Tips for Staying Fit Through the Holidays

Five
Tips for Staying Fit through the Holidays

Joyous news:the Holiday Season is here! Is your emotional
reaction happy, excited, sad, anxious or stressed?What about your schedule?Getting overbooked already?How can you possibly squeeze in time for mood
improving, weight managing, and health improving fitness? And what about time
for sleep?

More joyous news:you CAN stay fit through the holidays without
further stressing your mind or your schedule.In fact, fitness activities temper emotions and clear the mind, allowing
you to stay more efficient.Feeling fit
and mentally clear will make every holiDAY more manageable. Here’s how:

The first recommendation is
to re-think what exercise is.The most
beneficial exercise does not require changing clothes, breaking a sweat, joining
a gym, or hiring a trainer. This exercise is walking.And all fitness studies have concluded that
walking in 10 minute increments for a total of 20-30 minutes a day increases
cardiac, mental and overall health. Think about that.10 minutes three times a day.That equates to parking farther away, zooming
around a store a few extra times, walking the dog a few extra blocks, taking a
10 minute walk at lunch or after meals,or even marching in place while waiting on line. Instead of coffee, catch up with a friend over a walk! Walking increases your life span and keeps
your lower body bones and spine strong.It
is good for balance and an excellent means of transportation...

For those of you with lower
body injuries or pain… don’t give up!If
you don’t have time to get to the doctor you can go directly to a physical therapist
who will give you exercises and do treatments to alleviate the pain. Want to heal yourself? Search WebMD for tips on common causes of
foot, knee and hip pain such as plantar fasciitis, patellofemoral pain, and
bursitis.Icing twice a day for 5
minutes can be curative.Also know that
walking for 10 minutes should not make any of these conditions worse.

Another best exercise, especially
if you are injured, is biking.Consider
biking for transportation to town or the train or (just please use a
helmet!).Too cold or dark out? A stationary
bike is a great place to read the paper, catch up on emails or social media or
have a chat with a family member.You
can purchase a decent stationary bike for around 200 dollars; the perfect early
holiday gift.

If you love the gym like me
but don’t feel you have the time, re think your gym workout.Try to combine exercises such as abs with arm
strengthening or leg raises.Using an
elliptical or bike with arm pulls for 20 minutes is all you really need.You can stretch and do spot toning at home
later when watching TV or right before bed while winding down.Keeping a foam roller and a few weights home
will allow you to extend your gym workout to later in the day or early in the
morning.

Finally, use your
weekends.Studies show that you can
catch up on both sleep and exercise by binging on both when you have the
time.The results are cumulative over a
week.And don’t forget to stretch on
weekends to prevent pain. Here’s wishing
you the happiest and healthiest holiday season!